Classic Braised Short Ribs

If you are in need of some culinary indulgence, my Classic Braised Short Ribs are totally a must-do.

The short ribs themselves are pretty pricey, but all the remaining ingredients in this dish are basics every home cook should have in their refrigerator or pantry. And of course, you can use your favorite wine no matter what the brand.

The beauty of short ribs is that they can be presented in a super elevated manner, but they cook simply in your Dutch oven. You start on the stove with a sear and then transfer the pot to the oven so that they braise slowly. Make these on a rainy day at home. You need a good four hours, in my opinion. You can also make them the day before if you choose. I add another can of beef broth upon reheating so that you have enough sauce to top them and your mashed potatoes.

This is great to make when you have fresh rosemary and thyme in your garden, but you may use dried as well.

Classic Braised Short Ribs
Makes 4-5 servings

2.5-3 pounds bone-in short ribs (About 7 or 8 short ribs)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth, plus 2 cups more if needed for saucier short ribs
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season all sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large oven-proof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and coat the bottom of the pot. Brown the short ribs on all sides in batches. About 4 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan. Once browned, set aside and repeat with second batch. Remove short ribs from the pot. Carefully spoon out excess oil from the pot and discard, leaving about 3 Tbsp. oil in the pot.

Return pot to medium heat. Add celery, carrot and onion to pot. Saute for about five minutes. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for three minutes more.

Add flour. Whisk to dissolve flour into veggies. Add tomato paste. Blend into veggies. Add wine. Bring to a bubble and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. After two minutes or so, add the broth.  Bring to a gentle simmer.

Return the ribs back to the pot. Spoon some sauce over the ribs. Place lid on top of pot. Turn off burner.

Place the pot of short ribs into the preheated oven. Bake for two hours at 350 degrees. Immediately turn the temperature down to 325 degrees and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more.

You may serve immediately or serve later that evening or even the next day. The longer they sit, the tastier they are! Add more broth if needed and reheat before serving. Top with chopped parsley.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

The Long and Short of It

“I can’t live like this anymore.”

I declared this to The Husband one night after FINALLY getting the Babes to sleep and sitting down for five minutes to down dinner in one gulp. It was 11 p.m. Dinner was a scrambled egg with toast. I think I was shaking from malnutrition, and I’m sure my head was pounding.

Next, I’m going to tell you I chased my late-night gourmet meal with a shot of tequila before sweeping glitter on my eyes and pulling up my go-go boots to hoof it up Forbes Avenue to the dive bar for a night out with my sorority sisters.

Oh, wait that happened in my mind. Well, really that happened probably on a weekly basis back in 1995.

Yes, I’m THAT old.

Of course, in 1995 I was not a baby momma or a wifey or a bizness owner.

I was just a clueless Carnegie Mellon University student trying to make the Dean’s List and find a good seat at a bar (preferably next to a boy who would buy the drinks.) Seriously. Those were my two biggest concerns.

And so this got me a thinking: My 1995 diet consisted of coffee and tea (this was the 90s afterall, when the whole coffeehouse thing was intriguing), ramen noodles (gag!), Kraft mac and cheese (super gag!), cereal, Pepperidge Farm milano cookies (these are still a part of my diet today in moments of desperation. Don’t judge), gummy bears, an apple or orange here or there, and Vladimir vodka mixed with raspberry Crystal Light and/or Snapple fruit juice. Honestly, I think I just threw up a little.

Fortunately, the Jersey Girl’s Daddy-o hooked me up with a credit card and upon dropping me off in good old Pittsburgh said, “You can put any charges on here that have to do with food. Make sure you eat.”

In fact, spending time with fam and friends to eat is one of my most favorite things to do. But the reality is, my life’s schedule or, lack thereof, makes the possibility of sharing a meal with others a rarity. Just like during my college days. Truth be told, this is how it’s always gone down during my adulthood because I’ve always worked jobs that have insane hours.

But, I was thrilled when one day during February or March I had the time and focus to make Short Ribs in Barolo for The Husband. The recipe comes from Mario Batali, and it is made of awesome meaty awesomeness. I served the short ribs with some rigatoni, which held up nicely to the big sauciness of it all.

Hopefully, you can whip some up before it gets too summery out. Short ribs seem like a cool night treat to me. The recipe calls for boneless short ribs, but mine were not boneless. They become so tender, the meat just falls right off. I also did not re-season with salt and pepper. But, I tend to cook with a lot less salt than called for in recipes. Also, be careful when searing the short ribs. The hot pan causes oil to spatter.

I used my Mean Marinara Sauce instead of Mario's tomato sauce. For my recipe, please click here.

Oh, and have no worries: Baby Evan these days is MUCH easier to put to bed. So, hopefully my cookery will get back on the exciting track soon! I don’t know if the same can be said of my social life.

Short Ribs in Barolo
Makes 4 servings
From “Molto Italiano”
By Mario Batali

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large Spanish onions, cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium carrot, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 ribs celery, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 cups Barolo or other hearty red wine
2 cups tomato sauce

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, brown the meat all over, turning frequently, until dark, golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and set aside

Pour the excess oil out of the pot. Add the onions, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook until the vegetables are light brown and starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the meat and bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a festive platter.

Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce to 2 ½ cups. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the meat and serve immediately.